Easter Dinner-advice for eating in or out

Most people, I think, fall into three categories when it comes to Easter Dinner. I have a bit of advice that I’ll keep short and sweet. (edited to add that I go on a bit below…just to warn you that short and sweet didn’t happen.)

The three categories:

I cook a big meal for my loved ones

I go to a big meal cooked by a loved one

I go to a restaurant for a meal with loved ones

Then there are those who, like me, will be working on Easter Sunday. For the last 30 years, my parents have owned and operated a family run restaurant in our little town. Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, and Easter are BIG days for a restaurant. For the last 15 or so years, they have not been open these days as they would rather spend it with their family than working. Fair enough, right? Let’s face it, though, things are tight for everyone and one of the first things people stop doing is eating out as much. To combat the slow economy, my parent’s restaurant will be open and the response has been amazing. So much so that they really need another server…hence, I will be working on Easter Sunday.

Back to me giving some advice, I got sidetracked.

If your mother, father, aunt, sister, or daughter-in-law’s step-grandmother is cooking a nice spread for you and your loved ones, this advice applies to you. Make sure you offer to bring something, remember to say thank you, and offer to help clean up. A large meal like that takes hours of preparation, funds to cook, and skill to time it all just right. Often, by the time the meal is served the hostess (or host) is so relieved that they are too tired to even eat. An offer to clear the table, do dishes, or even help store leftovers is an amazing gift.

If you are cooking said meal, accept help when offered. Yes, even from children. It can be hard to let others into your kitchen, but thinking ahead of time of a few things that would be easy to delegate can take a bit of the load off of you. I know it can be difficult to have children help with the cooking as that timing thing can really be thrown with little-ones “helping.” A kind word of thanks and offer to let them scrape the pans later and use suds to wash up afterwards might do the trick. If that doesn’t work, have them help place silverware, carry breadbaskets (with napkins tucked tightly around the rolls), etc. I have many fond memories at my Grandma’s house helping do these little things that made me feel as important as my aunt making gravy!

If you are going to a restaurant for your meal keep a couple things in mind. This is an extremely busy day for restaurants. Try to bring an extra dose of patience if your table is not ready or food is slow to come. On Easter, my parents will likely do the same amount of business in 3 hours that they will do all night on a busy Saturday (6 hours.) Plus, remember that your servers (cooks and dishwashers too) might rather be at Grandma’s for a meal with loved ones and likely have missed Easter service at their church home.

Restaurants are open because of demand and the demand is that you want to be able to relax on Easter Sunday and let someone else do the “dirty work” of cooking and cleaning! Perhaps you go so that your large family can all eat a meal in one place that one person’s home could not accommodate. Isn’t it worth a few extra dollars to be able to just sit back and enjoy the day? This applies to any day, really, not just Easter Sunday. If you are a Christian, wouldn’t it be awful to leave a restaurant after being impatient with your server, stiffing them on a tip, and yelling at your kids on Easter Sunday? What a witness, right? I rarely say it, but regardless of faith, tip your servers well this day. It’s a long day for servers, full of large groups, children not necessarily used to eating at a sit-down restaurant, tired families, and church-folk that act like they are better than non-church folk.

Okay, I am on a soapbox now, so much for short and sweet. I admit it. Are there other server’s reading this? Am I not right? Does anyone else find that servers argue over who has to wait on the church groups? Often times the church groups are the ones that run you to pieces without a thanks. It really irritates me to see a church group come in acting like they are better than me (or anyone) because they have been to every service from the first Sunday in Lent to Maunday Thursday and Good Friday and had their children looking spic and span for sunrise service that morning. Or they are from the big brick church with doctors and lawyers that has been in town since the time of Ben Franklin, not the little group meeting in an old grocery store. This isn’t just Easter Sunday, either. I cringe when the group that prays over their meal is the one that leaves $1 tip in a tract with their bill of $50, or doesn’t have a kind word for anyone but their own companions. It’s awful, but this is so common in the restaurant world. Trust me, I know it is not easy to get four little girls up and moving, dressed, fed breakfast, and hair looking nice before heading off to Sunday school and church…add in a sun-rise service and looking special for Easter and well, by lunch all of us will be running low on patience and smiles. Remember, though, that you go to this restaurant so that you can enjoy a hot meal after service with family and friends without having to plan food and set-up on top of all you have already managed to squeeze in that day.

In all reality, as professing Christians, we are should be admitting that we ourselves are no better than anyone. If we are to follow Christ’s teachings, his life, and Paul’s letters we agree that we all fall short, miss the mark. That we are sinners, in need of a Savior. The joy and celebration of Easter is Christ living a sin-less life, facing an unjust death, and overcoming not just that death, but sin, and doing so in our place. Acting as though we are better than anyone goes directly against the very faith we profess and is a terrible witness anytime of the year. Perhaps we get so caught up in getting to church that we forget what church is all about?

Stepping down off the soapbox now. I apologize if this offends, truly I do, as it is not my intent to offend. I really just wanted to say that Easter should be a joyful day and that it’s great to offer a hand in the kitchen, not to rant on or to scold. If your reading this, I was brave and hit “publish” rather than “save draft”, brave in that I do not normally discuss my Christian faith here and I do not normally scold anyone other than my children.

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6 Responses

Thank you for posting. 🙂 I agree whole-heartedly with what you had to say – I am so irritated with “professing” Christians who think so little of what their actions actually profess. I want others to see my family as different – in a positive way – so that they want to know why we are who we are. Our lives should be a constant testament to God’s lovingkindness! Not a deterrent to those around us. OK, I’ll stop now, since I think I’m joining you on the soapbox! Have a great week, and I’ll be praying for your family, especially on hectic Easter.

AMEN SISTER!! Like I don’t feel bad enough about missing Sunday service to put food on the table for my family, the last thing I need is a fellow Christian looking down their nose at me and making me work for free! Thank you for putting it into words so politely, Lord knows they make me want to cuss!

This had me laughing! Completely on target, Deanne! I worked at a casino for a few years, and (yes, I loved the irony of Christians in that environment then too) it was always the folks who prayed over their meals who tipped the worst. My husband and I always make sure to tip well – especially because we always say a prayer before we eat! 🙂